


When Darkness Falls

by Lananiuska



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:32:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23197873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lananiuska/pseuds/Lananiuska
Summary: Struck by a catastrophe unlike any other she has ever seen, Regina has to learn how to depend on others to survive. It is also then, that she realizes that sometimes, you need a little chaos to find yourself.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 50
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So okay, the setting of this one is going to be a little complicated but here it is. It takes place in some version of Storybrooke in the year 1999. It's obviously an AU, one where the world was panicking about the new millennium being the end of the world. It's basically a survival story, they are hit with a disaster and now they have to deal with it. With that being said… enjoy!
> 
> P.S. Huge thanks for Tiffany for brainstorming with me

The order to evacuate the city came at five o'clock in the afternoon, when the roads were already blocked and darkness was creeping upon them.

It came out way too late for any of those who remained behind to do something about it. They couldn't leave by car, they sure as hell couldn't leave by sea, and walking out was apparently embarking into a suicide mission.

Staying was risky too, at least according to the phone conversation she had with her mother earlier on. The town was not ready to receive a category five hurricane with sustained winds of more than 165 miles per hour, and since they were so close to the shore, they were also not ready for the widespread flooding that was expected.

It was a hard to grasp situation, especially because the most recent development of the storm projected that it was going to be a disaster… a huge catastrophic event like nothing the area had seen. What was even worse, the local government was not letting people know about it.

They were just... keeping it under the rug.

Sure, the residents of the small and sometimes forgotten town, knew a hurricane was coming. The event had been all over the news after all, and since it was going to be the first time such a phenomenon menaced to sweep the area, people were on the lookout.

Some of them even fled already, packing whatever they could before leaving town.

If they did that, it was because they wanted and not because the authorities warned them, as the true magnitude of what was coming was for some reason, classified information, as Cora Mills simply put it.

The risk the town was facing was something the powers that be somehow, someway managed to keep in the shadows. Even when keeping such important information was putting so many at risk.

"Regina, darling, if we tell them how big this is now, everyone will try to get out of there like a bunch of cockroaches, and with that thing already about to hit, they will end up being caught in the middle of it. They'll die trying to get out, so the best thing I can do is let them stay home. We'll send a rescue team as soon as the whole mess clears out. It will be fine, and if we are lucky, we'll even be able to cash in some federal disaster funds to make the town thrive from this. Everyone will benefit from this at the end-"

Now, being her mother's daughter had made Regina's skin be a little too thick and she even liked to brag about how having the woman's cold blood running through her veins turned her into a complete bitch. Not that she was, of course, but in the competitive field of her life in New York, the reputation served her well.

She was good at it, at pretending, at acting as if she was a step over everyone else, but the reality was that she was more her father's daughter than she was ever Cora's.

However, being under the politician's constant rule did make her grow into a hardcore cynic, so she was rarely surprised by most of her mother's antics.

With that being said, even for her standards, the crudeness of what her mother and those in charge were doing was a bit too much.

"Are you serious? People will die here. Can't you at least warn them?"

No, that had been the Mayor's answer. They issued the evacuation order because it was protocol and very necessary if they wanted to cash in some relief funds, but actually telling them the imminent risk would incite chaos into a group that already thought the world was going to end by the end of the year, and that was the last thing her mother wanted.

What if they rioted and started looting? Mr. Gold wouldn't approve of that so they better keep them in a blissful ignorance.

They would send a helicopter to get a few important citizens out of town, a ride that of course included her, as the Mayor's daughter. But the rest of the residents were basically going to be abandoned to their luck.

"That sounds terrible. Very Titanic-ish." She had said, her voice cold and detached, the grip on the phone turning her knuckles white.

"Leave everything to me. You just worry about getting into that helicopter and forget about everything else."

The ominous conversation happened a little less that one hour ago, time that Regina took to pack the few belongings she brought over. It wasn't much, since she just came for the weekend, so once she was ready, she headed towards the City Hall building, as it was there where the infamous helicopter was going to pick her up.

She made her way there with a bad feeling eating her inside out, especially when she noticed a bunch of people crowding the bus station. There were not a lot of them, but they were enough to make Regina feel awful about how they were being played dirty.

They didn't know it, but no bus was going to take them out. They were trapped, and if they didn't find a place safe enough soon, they could die.

Chewing hard into the inside of her cheek until her eyes watered with the pain inflicted, the brunette woman looked away. She wanted to think that none of what was happening was her problem. Storybrooke wasn't her home anymore, hadn't been since she left for college years ago and that she happened to be there, was just a cruel prank from destiny.

Because yeah, it was only her luck that the biggest storm the East Coast had seen in the last century was going to make landfall in Storybrooke while she was unfortunately there.

"No, you'll not be here." She told herself as she drove the Mercedes into her mother's designated parking spot in front of The City Hall. "When this storm hits, you'll be home, relaxing in the tub with a glass of wine."

True, the hurricane, that for some reason was moving south, was expected to hit New York city too, but it was not going to have the same catastrophic effects there and well, it wasn't the same thing riding such a huge storm in her Manhattan condo than in Storybrooke, Maine.

She was going to be fine once out of town. She just needed to kick the image of the small crowd waiting with all the belongings they were able to pack, waiting for a bus that was never going to pick them up out of her mind.

"Damn you, Cora, damn you to hell." She hissed and no, not for the first time in her life. "I can't believe you're making me do this."

With that thought taking over her mind, Regina Mills got out of the car. Once out, she grabbed her designer travel bag from the passenger seat, and after wrapping around her a scarf that was supposed to keep her from the chilly September air, she started walking around the building, the sound of her high heeled boots against the pavement preceding her.

Now, it was still early for the effects of the hurricane to fully hit them, but she could feel an eeriness in the wind softly howling around her that she didn't quite like. It was rustling the trees and making her hair swirl all over.

It was also too cold, enough to send a shiver down her spine. Luckily, it was a short walk, one that she should make with ten minutes to spare. But, as she went around the corner, she noticed with surprise that there was a small crowd gathered there.

They caught her by surprise so she halted on her tracks. The first thing they did upon seeing her, was bombard her with endless questions.

'Where's Mayor Mills?' 'Why they issued an evacuation order so late?' 'What was going on?' And of course: 'what are they going to do with us?'

"I don't know." Was all she was able to say over and over again as the crowd surrounded her.

"You don't know where your mother is?"

A voice that screamed everything but kind, cut into the middle of the incessant questions. It gave Regina no other choice than to look in its direction to see none other than Emma Swan standing a few paces in front of her, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes hard as steel.

Regina's back straightened at the sight and she had to fight hard against the urge of snarling her lips in annoyance, because no, she wouldn't say that she was enemies with the blonde, but they sure as hell were not friends.

"She's not here." She said at last, her chin tilted up in silent defiance, and her voice dripping with that overbearing tone Daniel had tried in vain to make her sweeten down.

"Obviously. So where is she?"

Clearing her throat as a way to stop herself from blurting out that she was not Cora's nanny to keep track of her whereabouts, Regina kept her face neutral.

She had to. As the Mayor's daughter, it was her burden to remain stoic and calm in situations like this.

"She's out of town. Now if you'll excuse me." She continued, walking pass Emma and closer to the building's door.

"Oh really? How fucking convenient."

"We tried to leave, as the evacuation order said, but the roads are blocked."

Now, this second voice that spoke up, Regina recognized immediately, even if she hadn't heard it in years.

It was a bit different, deeper, a bit raspy, but that English accent was simply unmistakable.

Turning around on the heels of her boots, Regina lifted her face in his direction. She spotted him at once and yes, it was Robin, as she already knew, but he looked so different from the scrawny kid that used to bug the hell out of her during their school years that for a moment, she didn't know how to react.

He looked good, more than what she remembered, damn him, and that was saying a lot considering she used to have the biggest crush on him.

"Is it true they will send a bus for us? There are some people waiting by the station."

The one asking that had been Mary Margaret and in an instant, Regina realized that most of the people there went to school with her. Well, Mary Margaret was a few years younger so they didn't have the same classes, and neither did Robin, Killian or Zelena, who were a year ahead, but the rest were former classmates. Emma, David, August… she could even see Tink and others standing at the back.

These were some of the people Cora was leaving behind… people Regina knew and in a way grew up with.

The first boy she ever kissed was there, awkward as it had been, and the person she once considered to be her best friend was too, so how was she going to do this?

"What are we supposed to do here, Regina? What is even going on?" Tink asked and screw it; she couldn't do it.

It was her father's side the one that took over, because the part of her that was Cora Mills, would never give up on sentimentalism.

Taking in a deep breath, Regina looked at Tink, trying to find the right words to describe what was going on.

It wasn't fair, because it was not her job to say what she was going to say. It was her mother's duty, and her staff… as she had not been elected into any public position.

But, she was the only person in town that knew this so what the hell, she better get it over with so that at least her conscience could find some peace in the fact that she at least warned them.

"Late this afternoon, the Mayor's office was informed that the hurricane found some highly favorable conditions that allowed it to undergo a very dramatic intensification, so it will hit… hard. It will come a category five, which is unprecedented in this area. That's why the order was emitted, because Storybrooke is not expected to withstand the impact."

There were some deep sighs and more than a few groans as she dropped such a bomb. Regina heard it all, watched the way their faces fell as she remembered her own reaction when Cora told her.

"Alright, and how will they do it, how will they take us out? I saw in the news that this will make landfall very early tomorrow so time's running out."

And here it goes, she thought as her eyes fell on Tink again. She was still having a hard time assimilating what she was going to say so breathing in, she let it out… like a punch to the gut.

"There will be no bus coming, no one will. So the best thing you can do is find a safe place to stay. The higher the better and just… wait for everything to be over."

"Wait… they are leaving us behind?" David, another one that had grown out of his awkward teenage years scoffed; Regina just nodded, refusing to meet his eyes.

Yes, that was exactly what was being done. It was something Regina hadn't been able to digest well ever since she was told, but it was the only truth. The Mayor, her mother, chose not to tell anyone on time and now it was this.

"This can't be… I can be giving birth at any time now!" Zelena whined, making Regina take notice for the first time, that the woman was in the last stage of a pregnancy.

It shook her to her very core.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." Regina said genuinely, her tough façade almost crumbling. But then as if in cue, the sound of the helicopter approaching disrupted the sudden silence and everyone looked up to see it land at the back of the building.

It took them a few seconds to register it, but when Gold, his wife, Midas and Sydney Glass emerged from their parked cars and headed in that direction, things apparently became crystal clear.

They were the five secure spots chosen to go out. No more, no less.

"This is fucking unbelievable." Emma almost yelled, her hands going to the top of her head as she stared at Regina in disbelief. "They sent a helicopter for you, but blocked the road for us?"

For the first time in her life, Regina felt so very small. Cora raised her to have this not so humble notion that as a Mills, she was above everyone, and it was not like she believed it, but she was undoubtedly proud. But in that moment, she felt like the most disgusting piece of trash ever.

She even felt disgusted with herself.

"You should probably all stay in the City Hall until the storm passes. It's high enough so it won't get flooded, and there's no chance of the building collapsing. It's the strongest structure in town."

Yeah, her mother would have a heart attack with that one, but who cared?

"Really? That's all you have to say?" Taking a few steps in her direction, the blonde groaned. She obviously meant trouble and Regina was ready for it, but before she could get too close, August grabbed her.

"Forget it. It's not worth it."

By the way he pulled at her, Regina assumed he meant to take her away, but before he could, the woman eyed Regina coldly. "I hope you and your mommy are unable to ever sleep again after doing this."

Blinking a few times, Regina lifted her chin up and faced Graham instead, he was standing at the back with a serious expression on his face. His eyes, like all the others, set on her.

She ignored the reproach in the stare and just clenched her jaw. She knew he worked at the sheriff's office, so he was the one to speak to. "If there are people by the beach, they should make it up here, same as everyone who doesn't have a secure roof. As the people at the bus station…"

"I'll get to them." He said somberly before leaving.

After that, the rest of the crowd started to leave as well, all but Tink who was looking at her with something she couldn't quite pin, Robin, who had his hands raised a little in what she could easily read as a what the fuck gesture, and Zelena, who was by herself and softly crying.

That right there made her feel worse, like one of the cockroaches her mother was always comparing people with. That was probably why she did what she did.

She didn't think much about it, didn't weight in the implications her actions would provoke. She just rode on an impulse and grabbed Zelena by the arm. "Come with me, I'll give you something."

Turning from the others, she walked around the building, and when she was by her car, she pointed to the helicopter. "You are going to be the one leaving, okay?"

"What?" The redhead asked in surprise, because much like Emma, they were not friends. They never have been.

"Just get your things and go." She said, a bit exasperated as she pointed at the duffle bag Zelena just dropped.

Not thinking it twice, the visibly pregnant woman picked up her stuff and without a look back, she jumped into the helicopter.

Regina just watched, shocked by her own wild impulse but unable to tear her eyes away. She just stood there until the image of the helicopter faded.

"She didn't even say thanks." She said when she felt someone stand by her side. She didn't have to look to know who it was, especially when that someone wrapped an arm around her and rested her head against her shoulder.

"Your mom is going to kill you."

Regina's snorted, even when there was no trace of amusement in it.

"Not if I drown here first or I don't know, get hit by a falling tree or something."

"You won't. City Hall happens to be the strongest building in town, or so I was told."

Looking up, the Mayor's daughter found herself eye to eye with the same pair of blue orbs that so long ago would make her feel like melting on the spot.

They had always been so full of mischief that it was weird to see them shine with something else, something deeper. But even though there was that slight difference, they apparently had the same pull on her.

Robin Locksley… it was weird, because growing up, he was the epitome of what she disliked in boys. He was loud, too cheeky and God, he apparently had a thing of bugging the hell out of her. But at the same time, she had been drawn to that dimple smile of his and those bright blue eyes, even when she would first cut her right arm off than admitting it out loud.

That had been long ago, when she was a simple naïve kid that knew nothing about life.

"It is the safest place, but I won't be staying there. You know, I don't want to be lynched by an angry mob lead by Emma Swan as I try to sleep."

"What will you do then?" Tink asked and much as it happened with Robin, Regina started to remember how it had been before with her.

They have been inseparable, best friends, the person who stood by her when her father died and when Cora was being too much and she needed a breather.

It all changed though, when her mother made her go into a specialized ballet school. They tried to cling to their friendship at first, but as it often happened in those last teen years of anyone's life, they grew apart. Then, Regina left town.

"I'll stay home, it can't be too bad there."

"Regina, you can't stay there on your own-"

Scrunching her nose because she just knew what Tink was going to say next, the brunette walked away.

"There's no place to sleep at the City Hall, or food, so I think you better start getting ready. It's going to be a long night and an even longer morning."

Meaning to end the conversation there, Regina walked to her car and after one last look at her past, she drove away, never imagining that it was not just going to be a long night what she was about to face, but the longest week of her life.

And that in that week, the past and everything she left behind in Storybrooke, was going to come knocking at her door…

TBC?


	2. Chapter 2

There was something eerily disquieting about the sound of the wind picking up.

It was a sensation Regina couldn't quite put her finger on just yet, but it kind of sounded like a muffled whistle… one that insistently blew in her ear, making her skin turn into goosebumps as a chilling tremor ran down her spine.

It was a thing the brunette had never in her life experienced before, and she was not going to lie, it was kind of making her feel anxious as hell. Not only because of the way it sounded, but also because of how it felt.

There was just a certain quality on the current of air that was making her stomach tie in a knot and that was filling her with such a dread, that she didn't even know what to do with it.

It was almost as if every fiber of her being could feel the doom approaching, and she wasn't sure if it was all in her mind or in the way the wind spread under her skin, the coldness of it sinking into the very marrow of her bones, but the fact was that she did not like any of it

It was early, the hurricane still a few hours away from making landfall, but the effects of the impending natural disaster were already starting to creep into the very core of Storybrooke, and she was not sure if she was ready for it.

Actually, she was sure she wasn't ready, and the fact that she started drinking before the whole thing even began was the best sign of it.

Now, with the wind making the trees sway this way and the other in a macabre dance, and with all the curtains of the house blowing creepily in, she was regretting that bottle of wine she just downed.

Sure, at the time she opened it, it felt like a great idea to help her distress ease a bit, but now, as thing started to feel real, she was questioning the decision.

This hurricane was going to hit hard, and the last thing she needed was to be drunk as that happened.

Taking in a deep breath, Regina closed her eyes, her more than a little impaired brain trying to get a grip and think of how to proceed now…

She needed to get ready, or else she was going to get caught up in a damn mess.

"Okay." She said out loud, running both hands through her dark silky hair, her fingers clutching at her strands while her nails scrapped against her scalp. "First, you need to do something with these windows."

Nodding to herself because the way the curtains moved made her feel like she was in a horror movie, Regina proceeded to walk all along the big house, closing window after window while cursing her mother's name.

It felt a little insane and she wasn't sure if she would do it any other way if she would be sober, but the thing was that she couldn't quite grasp the reason why Cora couldn't make the arrangements to put some hurricane shutters in place to protect the house.

It seemed like such a little detail, but she was sure it could have helped prevent the windows to possibly blow into nothing in the middle of the hurricane.

She had seen other houses doing it and even some stores in Main Street. But not Cora Mills… of course not, as she was apparently so deep into her own ass, that she didn't even consider the idea of her house going to waste during such a huge storm.

Puffing out a breath because even though her mother made no preparations, Regina could already see her gasping in horror once she came back to see her house destroyed, she rolled her eyes. She also bit down a snort because no, she was not going to laugh at it, as it wasn't even that funny…

It would be a humbling lesson for Cora, sure, but this was her late father's house and she would hate for it to be ruined. Besides she was _in_ there, so there would be nothing to laugh about if the windows blew or the roof gave up… or whatever happened in these kinds of events.

Humming, the brown-eyed wondered if maybe she should start considering going to the City Hall now that there was still time…

It was as she mused about that, that she heard a knock on her door. It was an insistent sound, louder than the wind itself. It took Regina completely by surprise.

At first, she thought the rising wind picked something up and slammed it against the door, or that maybe, alcohol was making her imagine it; but after a few insistent knocks, it finally registered in her brain.

That wasn't the wind acting up. No, there was someone out there calling on her door; the question was, who?

It was already dark and there was a light drizzle starting to pick up in intensity, so it wasn't like the ideal moment for anyone to be out and about and let alone by her house.

Frowning and more than a little curious, Regina made it to the main entrance. But then, she opened the door and whatever trace of curiosity she had, vanished into thin air. All she could do was tense her jaw and straighten her posture, just as Cora imposed in her ever since she could remember, and then years in ballet enforced on her.

"Great-" She hissed not too amicably, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the blonde standing there.

But out of the corner of her eye, she saw there were more people lurking around as well, and she quickly took notice of them all. Especially, the one with piercing blue eyes resting his shoulder to one of the columns of the porch.

He was the one furthest away, but damn, be it the alcohol running through her system or the phantom of some old feelings coming back with a vengeance, but that didn't take from the fact that his presence was the first one she noticed.

He always had that on her, making her notice him in a room full of people. It started since she was old enough to realize she liked boys and now, more than a decade later, it continued to happen.

Just by standing there, doing and saying nothing, he was simply making her feel too self-conscious. It was like being in her teens all over again… damn him, and damn that wine because this was something she wouldn't be feeling with a clear head.

She was not the same girl who for years crushed on the boy this man had once been. No… she was a woman now, with more life and experiences on her shoulders to know better.

"What do you all want now?" She asked out loud as she played pretend she wasn't feeling both drunk and on alert.

"You lied to us. The City Hall is not the safest place in town to ride this storm, this one is." With that said, Emma walked straight into the house, quickly followed by David and Mary Margaret.

"We brought provisions… well, we brought some stuff." Mary Margaret said almost apologetically while David carried a box of beer and what appeared to be some chips inside.

Holding down a gasp, Regina turned around, watching as the man put the things down while Emma crossed her arms to her chest, taking a look around.

"Nice crib, Mills."

"Provisions for what?" Regina cut in, not liking the liberties those three fools were taking by walking into her house uninvited.

"They mean to take shelter here. Yes, I know, I tried to tell them you were not going to like it, but do they ever listen?"

That was Tink talking now, and she said that while she walked in as well, making Regina snort in a mixture of bitterness and incomprehension as she put her own ' _provisions'_ down the floor.

"You can't stay here." She said at last. But now, Little John, Belle and another man she didn't even know, were also in, all of them apparently leaving something along David's beer.

The last one to enter was Robin, and much to her surprise, he made a quick stop by her side, an easy smirk gracing his lips and his eyes on hers. "Sorry, peer pressure." Then he was also in.

For a wild second, Regina just followed his progress into the living room, her eyes set on the way Belle immediately clung to his arm so that she could say something in his ear. Robin even leaned forward for her benefit and laughed a deep raspy laugh that made Regina sigh in remembrance. But then, she shook herself out of her trance and looked away.

"I'm being serious guys; you _can't_ stay here. It's not safe." Not to mention that Cora would have a heart attack if she knew there were eight citizens planning a stay over at her house.

Clicking her tongue, Emma snickered. "Are you serious? If it's safe for the mayor's daughter, then it's safe enough for me."

"I don't know about that, those windows are not looking so good."

Swallowing down the urge of blurting out an ' _exactly'_ in Robin's direction as he pointed out the one thing she had been worrying about a few minutes ago, Regina opened her mouth to speak. "I… think you all better go to City Hall."

"As if; that place is crowded as hell, and people keep looking at us weird." Little John pointed out as the man she didn't even know, chuckled.

"Yeah, did you guys see Archie? He kept leering at you, John… and don't get me started on Granny." Mary Margaret snorted.

"That's because you kept drinking all that beer as if it was water." The stranger added.

"Just me? As I remember it, you were all drinking… like fishes on a pond."

Scoffing and brushing Little John off, the man turned to Regina. As far as she could see, he also looked a bit drunk.

Not that she was going to judge, as she was still feeling a bit off herself. But she sure as hell was not going to let her own drunkenness come to light.

"I have to apologize on behalf of all this fine people for failing miserably in introducing us. I'm Will Scarlet, and I have to mention, I am so pleased to finally meet the infamous Regina Mills. Heard quite a lot about you back at City Hall, must I say."

Her eyebrow arched at his use of the word _infamous_ and she wondered what the hell these people said about her.

By the way Belle and John started to giggle, she guessed nothing good.

Probably, that she was the stuck-up, cold and overbearing daughter of the woman who left them all there to die.

It made her whole demeanor change from annoyed to angry because yes, this was like high school all over again. People talking behind her back, snickering, making her an outcast…

"Why don't you come with me and help Killian and August get the rest of the things here?" Robin said, his hands settling on Will's shoulders and apparently squeezing hard enough to make the man hiss in discomfort.

"Hey, watch it mate."

"Oh so Killian and August are coming too?" She asked in a dry chuckle, her brown chocolate orbs once again settling in Robin's blue ones.

It was as if her eyes were eternally drawn to his, pulled by an invincible force that wanted to torment the Regina of long ago.

Robin just shrugged, biting lightly on the corner of his lips and that mischievous glint she remember so well making an appearance. "I don't know, ask Emma."

"Yes, they are coming too. Is there a problem?" The blonde asked right off the bat, almost daring Regina to say something.

It made the brunette snort, her attention turning completely towards her. "I don't know, do I have a problem with you inviting half the town into my house? Yes, I do."

Smirking as if she led her right into a trap, Emma flipped her hair. "We have all the right in the world to be here. With this being the Mayor's house and us being tax payers, this is as much ours as it is hers. That carpet? I probably bought it, that fancy couch? It's probably Killian's."

Sober, Regina would be a hell of a lot angry with the woman's way off base comments, but in her slightly tipsy trip, she just laughed.

"Actually, this house belonged to my father before it was even the Mayor's, as does everything in it or even in my mother's bank account, so try again, sweetheart. You own nothing here but that ridiculous jacket and that small mind of yours."

"Okay so where is the kitchen, I think I could cook something for all of us. Come on _Emma_ , walk with me." Mary Margaret hissed without even waiting for a reply, she grabbed the other woman and marched towards the kitchen.

"Don't mind her much, she's a bit drunk… and upset." Belle said, lifting her hands in the air and then dropping them to her hips.

"She's a bit of an asshole, that's what she is. You heard me Emma? You are an asshole!"

"Tink…" Belle hissed, sending the woman who once was Regina's best friend a sideway glance. "You're not helping here."

"Listen-" Before Regina could add her own two cents to the conversation, Robin spoke as he walked closer to her. It made Regina hold on her breath, her eyes widening a little because this was the closest they have ever been since… well, _that day_. "I know it's pretty obvious you don't want us here, but there's no other safe place we can go to. So I don't know, could you bear with us just until tomorrow? I promise Emma will be kept under control. Meanwhile, I think we can bring some panels and board-up a few of these widows. It won't be all of them but you know, it will be better than nothing. So yeah?"

Blowing out a breath and not necessarily because he was so close, but because she needed to have the windows be protected, Regina closed her eyes for a second.

It was meant to help her mind collect itself, but with the wine still impairing all of her senses, she only got herself feeling a little dizzy.

"Alright. But you can't be roaming all around the house. And the study and the entire second floor is off-limits."

"Sounds good. The living room would be alright. I mean the guys are gathering a few things other than booze to bring over so yeah… we can make it work." He nodded, scanning the area with those amazing eyes of his.

Chewing on the inside of her lips, Regina scoffed, her head tilting a little as her eyes roamed along his face.

She shouldn't even mention what was about to roll out of her tongue and should instead keep the observation to herself, but what the hell? She was a bit drunk, it was an impossibly tricky situation the one they were in and well, she felt like doing it.

A little more than ten years later, true, but she wasn't going to be tongue-tied or too mortified to say the things she wanted to say in front of Robin Locksley anymore.

"Since when did you become the voice of reason among the rest of us all? That's not the Robin I remember."

And for real… back in school, he would have been the one pushing for mayhem, or at least the one riling things up to get them out of control instead of trying to be an agent of peace.

That was one of the reasons why they never got along. She had always been centered and a bit serious, while Robin was basically the clown of the school, always too loud and getting in trouble.

She had been so intimidated by all of that, even if she never let it show, and even if she would try to do her best to respond to his witty remarks by some of her own.

It was a weird thing, but she had been such an awkward kid, because even though she spent a good part of her teen years daydreaming about him, she also acted so bitchy with him… thing that obviously gave him fuel to try and always rile her up.

But now it was this, and at her words, he laughed the same raspy laugh she heard out of him when he came in. It was carefree, fresh and contagious enough to make the corner of her own lips twitch a little.

"I apparently got a bit more mature over the years."

"And hotter, I mean have you really _seen_ him? He was a bit awkward-looking back in school, you know, all legs and arms, but now he is divine, isn't he?" Belle butted in as she threw an arm around the man's shoulders.

Regina didn't appreciate the interruption, so in a matter of secods, her lips curled.

Robin snorted, but it seemed to be more in embarrassment than anything else. Even his ears got a little red as Belle just smirked while looking at her.

It took Regina just a second to understand that the bookworm of her class was now dating Robin or whatever, and as soon as she perceived a threat, she went ahead to state her claim over her man.

She probably thought Regina was flirting with him so damn, now it all felt awkward; especially since she was still there, waiting for only God knew what.

"Okay… that was a bit awkward, Belle. Um, and I appreciate both the insults and compliments, but it's getting late so let me get moving… I… will be right back."

To that, Regina couldn't argue, so she said nothing, and probably taking it as a go, Robin went out, taking both Will and David with him.

"He is really something else, isn't he?"

Blinking a few times, Regina just forced out a smile. "I… really wouldn't know. Now, if you excuse me... I'll just… go."

With that said, Regina moved away from Belle and started to make her way upstairs. She meant to go into her bedroom and just wait for everything to be over, but before she could, Tink stopped her.

"Regina, I know this is like the worst time to ask… but, would you mind if Graham crashed here as well? He's on Sheriff duty now, so he would come later… I just… wouldn't want him to be out there on his own once his shift is over. Like Little John said, the City Hall is so crowded-"

Squinting her eyes a little, Regina smiled what was probably the first genuine smile she had sported since arriving to town. "Graham? Is there something going on here that I should know?"

Flashing a smile of her own, Tink ran a hand down her face. "Well... I mean this is all kind of new, we're just talking but… I don't know, I think there might be… something."

Trying to go back in memory lane to see if she could remember Tink and Graham ever being close, Regina hummed, as no, she couldn't.

It was good though, Graham was of the good ones and well, even if they grew apart over the years, Regina always considered the woman to be one of the few best friends so she was happy for her.

"Of course he can come over. I mean, I'm housing Emma freaking Swan, so Graham is more than welcome. You know what? I think we really need to catch up before I go back to New York, it's been so long since we talked. What do you think?"

Smiling brightly, the blonde nodded, her eyes shining in that complicity of long ago. "Yeah, I think we really should."

With that agreed upon, Regina left her old schoolmates to get settled and retired to her bedroom.

Once there, she closed the windows and turned on her stereo to muffle the sounds of the wind and the crowd downstairs.

For the longest time, that was all she did, but hey were loud… her house's invaders, and in more than one occasion, she heard them even above the sound of her Foo Fighter's CD.

It was as if they had a damn party down there and she didn't know what was worse, them or the howling wind creepily echoing all over.

She tried her best to ignore them and to not be bothered by them, but the more time it passed, the louder they would get.

Robin's laughter was the one she came to recognize best, but there was also others, like Emma and yes, even Belle.

The last one made her sober up a little because fuck it all, the woman had been quiet as a mouse when they were kids and look at her now, thriving… and dating Robin…

Ugh… just thinking about it made her wonder how cozy those two could get under her own roof.

Rolling her eyes because that was none of her business, Regina took her phone out as a way to distract herself. She even considered if she should turn it on instead of continuing evading her mother.

By then, Cora just had to be aware that she gave up her seat in the helicopter and more than worried, Regina would bet on anything that she was furious.

That was something she couldn't just deal with in that moment, so putting the phone away, the brunette threw herself over the bed, closing her eyes to see if she could get some sleep.

She couldn't, after what felt like ages trying, it just didn't happen. Be it because the music was too loud or because things outside were picking up, the thing was that she simply couldn't.

By then, it was near midnight, which meant the hurricane was getting closer. Maybe she should try and switch the music for some news. Keeping up to date would be a smart thing to do, so maybe...

She meant to do that, she even got to her feet to turn off the stereo, but just as she was about to do it, there was a knock on her door.

Tink, she thought with a smile because sure, she wouldn't mind some company in that moment, but when she opened the door, it was another kind of blonde the one in front of her.

"Okay before you get mad, I just have to say this; those windows can't stay like that if you mean to spend the rest of the night here. It's not safe."

Blowing pass her lips a tired sigh, Regina wrapped her hand over her doorknob, her fingers curling around it hard.

"So you came to what, convince me to join the party downstairs or to board me up in here?"

The edge of his upper teeth sunk deep into his bottom lip as he sucked in a breath. In that moment, their eyes stumbled upon each other and they lingered longer than what it was actually necessary.

"Well… I didn't even think about convincing you downstairs as I knew you wouldn't come, so I brought-" Tearing his eyes apart, Robin lifted from the floor a six pack of beer and a hammer, and just when he knew she saw them, he moved to the side to show her a few panels resting on the wall opposite to her door.

They were big enough to cover most of her windows, so she got the idea of what he came to do.

"So, boarding me all up it is." Her voice came out a bit throaty and tired, but if he noticed, he said nothing about it.

"Can I?"

Humming, she shrugged, moving so that the door could open all the way and he could enter.

He did, dragging the panels straight towards her window. "Okay this should be quick… I'll just have to do it from the inside because outside is already crazy. Have you looked?"

Clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth, Regina cringed a little. "No. I'm basically trying to stay in a blissful ignorance and pretend this isn't happening."

Snorting, Robin shook his head as he started working on her windows.

For some time, Regina just watched him in silence, her eyes roaming freely since his back was to her and yes, Belle was right, he definitely outgrew his teenage years. Not that there had been anything wrong with how he looked back then, as she had liked him just fine… but the man he turned into was definitely an interesting sight.

He was fuller. His arms, his back… where he had been lanky long ago, he was now bulky with muscles. Nothing too overdone though, just perfectly distributed… at least as far as she could appreciate from her vantage point.

But no, checking him out would get her nowhere, especially with his girlfriend somewhere downstairs, so looking away, she picked the six pack he brought over and took a couple. Why? Well, because why the hell no?

The effects of the wine had already faded away into nothing and she needed this… besides it wasn't like she was going to get drunk with just one beer… so yeah, she opened both and took a sip of hers.

Now sure, she had never exactly appreciated the taste of beer, but she could drink it if needed, and this seemed to be one of those moments.

"Here." She said approaching Robin and offering the other one.

Turning to her as he finished with the first window, the blue-eyed man smiled the kind of smile that used to make her feel like melting long ago. The one with dimples in full display and his teeth showing.

"Thanks." Grabbing for it, he neared the bottle to his lips and took a generous sip himself, his eyes entrancedly never leaving hers. "You know what? If anyone ever told me that one day I would somehow end up drinking beer in Regina Mill's bedroom, I would have accused them of ribbing me."

Widening her eyes because yes, she could say the same thing, she clicked her bottle to his. "For weird times."

He hummed, taking another mouthful as he blatantly stared at her.

It made her feel way too self-conscious, as her mind was used to getting ready for the guy to tease her until she was red-faced and mortified whenever he looked at her too much.

"What you did for Zelena back by the City Hall? That was pretty nice of you."

Pretty dumb, she would say, but playing along, she just shrugged. "Pretty noble, huh?"

"Yeah, not exactly the Regina I remember."

This time, she scoffed, her nose scrunching a little. "Okay… well, what was it that you said earlier on? Oh yeah, thanks for both the insult and compliment… I think?"

Robin laughed, once again pinching his bottom lip with his teeth. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know. I'm pretty aware how I was in high school. Uptight… a bit condescending… a stuck-up. But you were pretty shitty too, you know?"

Hissing and then running a hand down his face, Robin chuckled. "You know what, I'll give it to you. I was very shitty, not the worse but yeah-"

"You were always bothering me. God, you don't know how many times I wanted to smack that stupid smirk off your face, the one you always had when you knew I was all riled up."

"I um, I… yes, I'm so sorry?" He cringed, but he looked everything but apologetic. He actually looked about to burst out laughing and she wondered if he was drunk.

"Yeah, it was all so long ago." She drank more beer, this time taking a longer sip because that exchange had been weird.

Robin just watched her, and when she ventured to return the stare, he smiled. "On my defense, I have to say I was mostly like that because I had the biggest crush on you-"

At his words, Regina almost spat the beer… almost. "What?" She managed to ask once she swallowed.

"I did, but you wouldn't even look my way and well, I was stupid and I guess I wanted the attention, any kind."

Wide eyed and still incredulous, Regina snorted. It was a weird thing, because yes, she was aware of the hurricane starting to rage outside and of the girlfriend downstairs, but she was also very aware of him. "You're shitting me."

"I shit you not." Laughing and licking his lips, he put the beer down. "I was telling the guys back when we were trying the City Hall and they basically reacted the same way you did. Well, all but Belle, she said it was pretty obvious and that I was an asshole for going with the 'let's bug the hell out of her' route."

"Belle said that?"

He shrugged, "Pretty much."

Of course she would, if what he said held any true to it, it happened long ago and was irrelevant now… meaning, that it was alright if she also confessed.

Biting hard on her lips and looking down to her bare feet, Regina snorted, not quite believing she was going to say this. "I kind… well, I more or less had a crush on you too."

"What, no way?" He said when she looked up and well, he looked extremely incredulous. "You pretty much hated my guts. Instead of looking at me, what your eyes did was throw these little poisonous darts every time I walked by."

Drawing in a deep breath, Regina blinked several times. "I also kissed you, Robin… so I think that was pretty telling."

"Yeah, you kissed me to shut me up, no?"

Using her tongue to push hard against her teeth, Regina just looked at him. Yes, in a way she did kiss him that time to make him shut up, but also because she had wanted so much to do it. It had taken all of her courage to go for it and yes, even to that day, she was mortified by it.

What could she say? Going back to that day, he had been specifically hard on her and she had been so riled up that she just… went for it.

It was all funny to her now, but back then, it had been serious business. It all started with a few anonymous stupid letters someone had been sending her, the typical 'you're so pretty' and yada yada and well, unfortunately mm for her, Emma took hold of one and started to read it out loud.

Robin had been there and he basically tore the letter from the blonde and started to read it himself. It had been an embarrassing thing for her because the things that had made her feel good and special about this secret admirer, ended up being another reason for Robin to laugh at her. He even started to mockingly call her pretty girl just to spite her and well, one day she couldn't any more.

She remembered it as if it happened the day before: she had been walking with the rest of her group to math class and Robin and his friends were there, lurking by the lockers. When she passed by, he said something like _hey pretty girl,_ and as it happened, Emma heard it.

Now, Emma, being her own kind of little shit, told Robin not to call her like that because it would all go to her head and she might believe it. Did he know Regina had never had a boyfriend, or that she has never been kissed? She probably didn't even know how to do it.

That right there gave Robin so much fuel to bug the hell out of her, and while he was in the middle of one of his little teasing sessions, she just went to him, grabbed him the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss…

Sure, the sloppiest, worst first kiss in history, but a kiss nonetheless.

_"There, I already kissed someone and it wasn't that great."_

With that said, she walked away, leaving everyone shocked and out of their minds, especially Robin…

"I did want to shut you up… but I also wanted to kiss you. It was my first one, you know?"

His hand went to his jaw and he scratched over his skin, hard. "No. You're pulling my hair in this one."

"It was an awful first kiss though, but it served to shut you up for once so I have zero regrets." Wanting to keep the confession light, she winked at him.

"Holy shit. You know you complete blew my mind back then? I was… just as I am right now, speechless. Wow."

Yeah, she could tell. But nothing of that mattered. He had a girlfriend and she was going back to New York as soon as she could.

"Okay… well, since we are confessing things right now, I'll just say it, screw it. I wrote you those letters."

This time, it was her turn to be incredulous. "No, you did not." And really, she couldn't remember word for word everything those letters said, but they have been so sweet… calling her pretty and throwing other compliments that any fourteen-year-old as naïve as she had been would find endearing and that wasn't like Robin, like at all.

"I did. I kind of had it pretty bad, you know… and you were on a whole different level, so I used the old anonymous trick. Lame, I know. It's kind of embarrassing right now."

Regina blinked because yes, she could relate on the being embarrassed by certain things she did, so she was not going to judge.

Actually, if anything, knowing that he had been the one writing those letters made her blush a little. It also annoyed her, because the little asshole had used his own letters to bug her.

Not that it mattered… not anymore…

"All that was such a long time ago…"

And it didn't matter anymore, she wanted to add, but he was looking at her certain way that was making her feel exactly like she did the moment she pressed her mouth to his… antsy, scared out of her mind, and ready to throw up her own heart…

"It was." As soon as he said that, a loud explosion that made her jump in surprise was heard all around and all of a sudden, the power went out. The lights, the music… everything.

There was also the sound of someone screaming downstairs and of course, the sounds of the hurricane raging outside.

Unable to see a thing, Regina gasped, once again being invaded by a sense of impending doom.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

He cleared his throat. "We got some flashlights downstairs, come on, we'll look for some and then finish the other window."

With that said, Robin blindly reached for her hand and once he had it in his, he tugged at it, probably to make her walk with him.

"Can't see a bloody damn thing." He snorted; his voice muffled by the spine-chilling hollow sound of the wind creeping in.

It sounded like a scary movie, almost like a haunted house that had quite a few damaged souls trapped inside.

That thought right there made her squeeze his hand a bit tighter, her mind automatically trying to find some kind of reassurance.

He offered it, not only by giving her a firm squeeze back, but also by changing the grip to one that had their fingers laced together.

"Come on, we'll just follow the sound of Mary Margaret freaking out."

He began to walk, probably unable to see that she was starting to freak out as well because the hurricane, was only starting to be felt… and this, was only the beginning.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here it is, took me forever and a day but I finally have the chapter up. I have to take a quick moment to thank Tiffany, as she not only helped me keep motivated, but also helped by brainstorming with me and giving me a few tips.

Regina couldn't remember ever experiencing anything more frightening than what she was living right in that moment as she walked in complete darkness through one of the many hallways in her parent's house. Her heart thumping hard against her chest as she listened to the sounds of the hurricane raging outside… wind screeching and whining all over, rain hitting unmercifully hard on the windows, and the ominous lament of the trees being swayed back and forth coming from outside.

It was creepy on its own right, all of it. Not only the unnerving sensation of being swallowed into pure blackness and not being able to see a damn thing, but more so how the wind sounded to her, one minute like a train running at full speed right by her side, and the next one like a wolf howling into the vast emptiness of a lonely night.

Add to that the way the roof was starting to rumble above them, how the low pressure that had taken over was sucking the air right out of her lungs and yes, she could undoubtedly say that she was scared.

She was also shook, to the very foundations of her existence. Not like she was willing to admit that out loud or even show it, hell no. After all, if there was something she learned by growing up under Cora's rule and then living confined into the severely strict regime of a ballet dancer, it was how to keep any trace of discomfort hidden.

It was just how she had been taught to be, guarded, reserved of her feelings, wary of her reactions and very conscious of how she portrayed herself.

But… even though she had become a master when it came to concealing her emotions, the truth was that in that moment, she wasn't sure if she could keep her poker-face for long. Not when the fear she was feeling was way different than any of the experiences she had lived before.

This wasn't like being seven years old and scared of standing straight and stern while in front of a big crowd for one of her mother's political campaigns, it definitely wasn't anything like swallowing down the pain and discomfort of perfecting her _fouettés_ and no, it wasn't even like the pressure of nailing a perfect audition for Julliard. It wasn't even close to any of that, as what she was feeling was stronger and went deeper than anything. 

"I can't see a bloody damn thing."

Snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Robin's voice breaking the silence that has been reigning over them, Regina startled, her entire being becoming rigid as she was suddenly paralized on her tracks.

It was a silly reaction and she knew it, so trying to save face and not come off as a terrified damsel in distress, she cleared her throat and lifted her chin a bit higher up. "Be careful with the stairs, they are somewhere around here and the last thing we need is to fall over them in this darkness."

Stopping where he stood as well, Robin sighed forcefully. She couldn't see him, but she definitely heard him… the way the air propelled out of his mouth almost as loud as the wind moving outside. "I know, I'm trying not to trip over them or onto anything, but… I really can't see a thing right now. You sure you don't have anything up here to fix that? A lighter maybe?"

Doing her best to focus on breathing slowly in and then out with the intentions of easing the suffocating pressure in her chest, she shook her head.

"Not up here, but there should be some candles in the pantry, maybe even some flash-" Before she could finish talking, something from outside slammed hard against what she assumed was one of the windows and the scare of it made her almost duck. She didn't, but she involuntarily tightened her hold on Robin's hand, turning it into a vicious grip that spoke volumes of how out of her element she was feeling.

"Fuck... we should definitely stay away from those windows."

"Well, that would be perfect... if we could only see where the damn windows are." And yes, it was the house she grew up in and she should be able to know where something as basic as the windows were, but the fact was that she didn't; her notions of time and space were all a bit distorted in her mind, adding to that her nerves and that was it, she was not only scared but also a bit disoriented.

"Then the sooner we can get to those candles, the better. Come on." Tugging at her hand, Robin started to walk again, making them venture through the hallway, walking blindly along the wall as the pressure in the air kept dropping.

Regina followed close behind, feeling his strong presence very near and on occasions, even bumping into him. It was annoying, true, and that ticklish part of her that always aimed for coordination and graceful movements was in total distress; but, in a way, it was also reassuring to know through the inopportune collisions that he was still there, and that the comforting feeling of her hand in his was not a product of her imagination but a real thing.

"I think this is it, we are going to go down so let's do it slow, alright? Just hold onto the railing and onto me."

"Okay." She did, her bare feet blindly searching for a step before she could even climb down the previous one. She was also keeping a strong grip on his hand, hating herself for how tight she was holding but at the same time, unable to loosen up.

"You alright?" He asked when they were almost halfway down.

"I'm fine." She said, her eyes wide as plates even though she couldn't see a thing. She was doing it by instinct, just as she held onto his hand a little tighter with every step taken.

By then, she was almost sure she could hear people talking near the kitchen and she was about to point that out to Robin, but before she could even open her mouth, a bright light was suddenly shining in her eyes and instead of talking, what she did was jerk her face away from it.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Oh, nothing much, you know, just trying not to fall down these bloody steps and break our necks? You can help by pointing that thing away from my face, you ass twat."

"Eh, why so touchy, Locksley?"

Narrowing her eyes and blinking the discomfort the light was provoking away, Regina looked towards this unknown voice, taking notice at once that it was Killian and that he was casually drinking from a beer as he pointed the flashlight in his hand away from them.

It was better that way, especially because now with the improvement of the light, they could see the steps descending underneath them.

"The power went out." The dark-haired man almost slurred after a long sip of his drink.

"Well no shit." Robin replied, guiding Regina down the rest of the way.

"And Mary Margaret is having some kind of nervous breakdown now. It's both hilarious and cringeworthy... but anyway, do you happen to have more booze around here? We ran out of everything but beer and I am not planning to ride this storm sober."

Now, the last part of what the man said was clearly meant for Regina, so she took the liberty of responding freely.

"You look pretty drunk to me right now, so I don't think you need any more alcohol."

"And you two look very suspicious right now to me but am I saying something? No, because whatever you were doing up there is not of my business, so be kind and just tell me where's the booze, love."

Rolling her eyes and for some reason still holding onto Robin, Regina snarled her lips. "Ugh, don't call me like that."

"Like what, love?"

"Bugger off, Killian." Robin huffed, and if she wasn't mistaken, he did it while giving her hand a light squeeze.

"Why, I haven't-"

Before the man could finish that sentence, a loud and desperate scream echoed in the darkness and Regina wasn't going to lie, the sound made the blood running through her veins turn icy-cold.

"See, that's MM, told you it was cringy."

Puffing out a breath, Robin moved forward, making Regina go along with him as he made his way into the kitchen.

Once there, the first thing the Mayor's daughter noticed was that the spacious room was illuminated by at least four candles placed strategically in all corners; the second thing to catch her attention was Belle, especially the way her face automatically turned to them from her spot sitting on the floor, close to a sobbing Mary Margaret.

There was also Emma, sitting in one of the stools as if the whole thing was boring to her, August sitting next to her, sipping from a bottle of beer as he silently watched the scene unfolding in front of him, and Tink, arms folded to her chest while standing by the fridge.

"Well there you are." Belle said through clenched teeth, her eyes growing a little wide as she focused on Robin, her lips twisting as she apparently tried to tell him something regarding the weeping woman she was trying to comfort.

It was as if she was trying to silently communicate with her boyfriend, and feeling as if she had been caught doing something very wrong, Regina quickly pulled her hand away from Robin's. She even moved away from him, finding a lonely corner from where she could stand safely by her own and with nobody taking notice of how antsy she was feeling just by being there.

What could she say? Even if the sounds were not as bad in there, the kitchen was plain and simply not safe. Not with the glass sliding door shaking on its hinges, and not with the way the wind was creeping through each and every crevice found around the house.

"So… a little help here?"

"Where's David?" Robin asked at last, sending Regina's way a quick glance before looking down at the duo sitting on the floor.

"He's out there in the middle of this hurricane thing." Mary Margaret wailed, sucking in a deep breath as Belle rubbed her back in slow circles. "He's out… and it's _so_ dangerous out there, what if something happens to him? I… I have to go and get him, Robin… I have to."

Running a hand down his face and then taking a second as if to consider things, Robin groaned. "No, no one else is going out. What the hell is he doing out there anyway?"

Clearing her throat, Tink stepped forward. "He and Graham went to clear the street sewer. It was getting clogged so the water was not going through and everything out there was kind of flooding."

"They have been out a while now." August added.

The statement was followed by a broken sob from Mary Margaret, and even though she was doing her best to keep herself detached from her uninvited guests' drama, Regina couldn't help but to look uncomfortably away, focusing instead on the way the sliding door rattled with the force of the wind.

It was nerve-wracking, but it was better than watching Mary Margaret cry on the floor.

"I'm sure they'll be fine… but all of you here in the kitchen? Not so much. I mean, we didn't spend half the night boarding up the windows of the living room so that you could be here instead so come on, let's move it back to where's safe."

"I don't think there's any safe place here, mate. I mean look at those windows. They are literally shaking. The door? I'll give it ten minutes before it blows over." Killian blurted out in a dry chuckle. "We are fucking trapped in here."

"He's right, this place doesn't feel like it will hold so congratulations, _Mills_ , as you and your family found another way to screw us over."

Doing a double take and feeling her jaw almost drop to the floor, Regina scoffed, her hand going to her chest in stupefaction. "Me? How is any of this my fault?"

"Well you have us here trapped, need I say more?" Emma spat, slamming a hand to the counter as her eyes bore furiously into hers.

That was how unbelievable the woman was, sitting in her kitchen as if she owned the place and having the audacity to blame _her_ for the fact that they all decided to invade her house.

Scoffing once again at the nerve of the woman, Regina felt the corner of her lip twitch in annoyance. "I didn't invite you to come over so don't put this one on me. It was you who wanted to crash here, calling dibs on the house as if you had any right to it."

Standing from the stool and heading her way, Emma lifted a finger and pointed it at her. "Yeah, but that wouldn't have happened if you would have let us out of town when there was time. But you didn't, because you and your mommy decided that it was a good idea to leave us here so yes, Regina, I'm going to blame all of this on you; and if anything happens to David or Graham out there or anyone in town for that matter, it will also be on you."

Feeling her face burn because the woman's words struck a sensitive nerve in her, Regina shook her head. She wanted to say that no, that nothing of what could happen would be her fault… but the truth was that she wasn't even sure if that was true.

Maybe Emma was right. Maybe she should have pushed harder when it came to convincing Cora into unblocking the roads, or maybe she should have thrown out there any other kind of evacuation plan. But she didn't… she didn't try enough. So what if everything that was happening was indeed on her?

"Come on, Emma. Regina's stuck here and very much fucked up like the rest of us, so cut the drama already, would you?"

The blonde woman chuckled, turning to Robin as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Regina also reacted a little surprised by doing the second double take of the night.

She simply hadn't been expecting Robin to stick up for her, as he has never done it before. Actually, back to their school days, whenever Emma felt like hassling her around and would make her days a little bit more complicated, Robin would usually join in.

But he didn't now, and that right there apparently surprised Emma as much as it surprised her.

"Seriously, are you on her side now? What did she do, suck your dick to make you switch sides?"

"Excuse me?" Regina chuckled dryly as she stared at Emma, the brown of her obs shining in a mixture of shock and rising anger.

"Classy, so _freaking_ classy, Emma." Belle groaned, rolling her eyes and waving her hand at Regina. It was almost as if she was telling her not to worry over Emma being her typical self… like she was letting her know that she didn't have to worry about _her_ , as Robin's girlfriend, believing such a thing as the one the blonde was implying.

Not that Regina dwelled much on the gesture, as she was more focused on trying to suppress her usually sharp tongue from unleashing on the woman.

"Are you seriously pulling that crap now?" Robin groaned.

"It's not crap when it's true. I mean, you really think you can fool me? You genuinely think I'm gonna swallow that you are all of a sudden on her side because of the pureness of your heart? No, man... so what was it, she batted her eyes pretty at you? Or is it that she tricked you into thinking that letting us come in here was her being nice?"

Robin scoffed, his features scrunching a little. "Are you seriously that dense that you think this is about being on one side or the other?"

"Well it is that way. When it comes to the entire Mills family, there can't be a middle ground. You are either with them or against them and trust me, you won't ever want to be with them and yes, that includes Miss Pirouettes here."

"For crying out loud Emma, just listen to you. You're clearly drunk and spitting so much shit out of that mouth that it's starting to stink."

Laughing out loud as if the whole thing was hilarious, Killian walked around the kitchen's island to have a better view of Robin and Emma arguing. "Oh, this will end up in a fight… I know it and I'm here for it. Twenty bucks that Robin chews your ass, Swan."

"Killian, you are not helping here like at all so zip it. Robin… let it go, you know it's not worthy."

"No Belle, let him. It's time someone gives her a reality check." Tink added, walking to Regina and folding her arms up to her chest. "It's time she understands that we are all in this together and that going around with that chip on her shoulder is not going to do us any favors."

Pursing her lips and nodding her head, Emma looked around the kitchen, all until her eyes fell on Regina. For a moment, all she did was look at her, her lips twisting as if she wanted to say something.

On her part, Regina felt the corner of her lips tip up smuggly, her eyes reciprocating the stare until Emma finally opened her mouth to speak.

"Someday, someone is going to knock that standof-ish smirk off your face and God, I hope it is me."

Without letting her eyes drop, Regina arched an eyebrow, her tongue pushing insistently against the inside of her teeth.

She shouldn't say anything and leave things with the satisfaction of pissing Emma off without doing much; but because she had never been one to hold her words down for long, she gave in and spoke.

"As if you would really dare. You were always pretty good at running your mouth, but that's all there is to you. Lots of noise and zero resolution."

"Yes, someone else that sees this! Twenty more bucks on Regina right now. Tell her more, please!" Killian yelled.

"You want me to show you my resolution to beat you down, is that it?" Emma took two steps towards Regina, but she had to stop short when Robin lifted an arm to prevent her from going any closer.

"Don't get stupid now, Emma."

Clenching her jaw, the problematic blonde changed her attention back to Robin. "Oh so you are calling me stupid now? Okay… okay, I see how it is _._ Well… I'll just say this, whatever it is that she did to you, it has you you acting like a fucking asshole right now. So I don't know Robin, maybe you should wake the fuck up so you can see what I see with this one right there."

"The only thing I see here, is that you are making a fool out of yourself, so just fucking drop it."

"He's right, Em, just sit down and shut up."

Turning to August, Emma forcefully blew out a breath. "Don't you fucking tell me what to do, who do you think you are?"

"Alright guys… this is getting really good with biker boy nosing in… as always, but-"

"Nobody is talking to you either Killian, so fuck you."

"And she keeps making it classy. Ugh." Scrunching her nose, Belle slapped a hand to her forehead.

Groaning, Tink lifted both hands over her head. "For the love of God, Emma; just drop it already. You're not even making sense right now and the only thing you are accomplishing here, is coming off as a total jerk. You don't like it here? Then just leave."

"Yeah, why don't you come and say that to my face, _Tinka_?"

Rising on her tip-toes and balancing a bit forward, Tink placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. "I'll tell you this, grow the hell up!"

Emma snickered. "You think you are really tough standing up to her? Time to open your eyes, she doesn't care about you or about any of us. Fuck, she almost left us for dead here! How come all of you forgot about that?"

"Well she is here, and thanks to her, at least Zelena got out." Shrugging, August added.

"Oh come on, she just used the Zelena thing because it was convenient for her, the perfect opportunity to make herself likeable and you all fell for it like a bunch of stupid assholes."

"Convenient? You really think it's convenient for me to be here, listening to your nonsense?"

"Guys-" Killian said again. "As much as I enjoy catfights and even a good ol' fashion royal rumble, you should like maybe stop now? I mean...the door-"

"You are definitely getting something out of this, either you or your mother, and I'm going to find out what it is. When I do, I'll finally unmask you and your entire corrupted family for what you really are, a bunch of opportunists preying on everyone they think is below them. But that will end… I know it will, I've been waiting years for the Mills' downfall and I won't rest until I get to see it. You all owe me that, after ruining everything for me… you owe it to me."

Regina wasn't exactly sure what Emma meant by that last part, but it sounded to her, like the woman was either unhinged or too drunk to make sense.

"I'll tell you something, _Emma_ , a little free advice nobody ever told you. Stop obsessing over me and my family, maybe that way you'll be able to make something out of your life other than being this pathetic woman, so full of resentment and-"

Launching herself forward, Emma tried to reach for Regina. She would have done it, easily, if it wasn't because one, Robin got in her way again and two, because Tink by instinct grabbed her childhood friend to pull her back.

"Cut it off, Emma."

"Guys…"

"Get the hell out of my way, Robin, or I swear-"

" _Stop_!"

Mary Margaret yelled out of the top of her lungs, the high-pitched scream chilling and eerie enough to make Regina cringe and the rest of the group shut up.

"Stop it already, all of you! Don't you see that while you are all here going in circles and arguing like a bunch of kids, David and Graham are still out there? So stop wasting so much time being petty and going for each other's throat and do something about _that_!"

Regina rolled her eyes, folding her arms to her chest as Tink threw an arm over her shoulder to bring her close.

The rest of the group kept silent, making the only sounds to be heard, the ones of the wind raging outside and that of the sliding door rumbling.

For a few consecutive seconds, that was all that reigned in that kitchen, at least until Will walked in and broke the silence.

"Hey guys, found a bit of a signal on the radio. It was cut off soon after but I did get when they said the hurricane already made landfall right here in Storybrooke. Their exact words were, _the surrounding area is being battered by high winds and heavy surge flooding is expected_ … and that's it, that's all I got." Looking at them and narrowing his eyes a little, almost as if he was catching on the tension, Will snorted. "Okay what did I miss?"

"I'm going to look for David and Graham, I'm tired of seeing all your faces." Emma announced, walking around Robin and heading towards the door.

"I wouldn't use that door if I was you." Killian hurried to say, putting his bottle of beer down on the counter and then walking to the glass sliding door, blocking it. "I mean, it's not like I wouldn't enjoy watching that lying pretty face of yours fly away with the wind right now, but- it can't be through this door."

"Get out of my way, Killian, seriously."

Trying to make him move, Emma pushed her ex-boyfriend. She did it hard, enough to make him stumble, but just as she was about to open the door, a noise coming from outside echoed all over and for a moment, everyone stood still, waiting, nerves on edges and all their senses on alert.

"What is that?" Belle asked, pulling Mary Margaret off the floor as the noise grew louder, almost deafening; then, when she opened her mouth to apparently ask again, everything happened at once.

Regina saw it all in a flash, one moment she was standing with Tink behind Robin and the next one, everything from above the kitchen was falling on them. The lamp crashed down, planks of wood started to rain all over, and if she wasn't mistaken, she was pretty much sure she even saw the trunk of a tree breaking in as well.

Not that she could have a perfect look at it, because as soon as the flooring of the second story partially started to come down on them, a gust of wind blew in and killed the flames of the candles all around, leaving them all in a sea of darkness… again.

The whole thing made Regina freeze on the spot, her lips parting so that she could blow out an anxious sigh. She was momentarily in a daze, and even though she could hear some shouts, the glass door exploding and the wind blowing forcefully in her ear, she remained glued to the spot.

That was how shook she felt.

Yes, she needed to move, she knew it, but for a few seconds that seemed to drag into an eternity, all she could do was stand there and try to make sense of what was happening.

"Regina!"

Feeling Tink pushing her forward and then someone else grabbing her arm to make her move, the brunette woman reacted, her face lowering as a way to evade the sharp rain from getting into her eyes as she started to move along, stumbling but making progress.

It was all crazy, she couldn't see a thing, she couldn't hear anything that wasn't the wind, and all she could think in that moment, was how everything was spiraling out of control. It wasn't until she was basically dragged out of the kitchen, that she started to get out of her daze…

Then, everything started to speed up, her senses sharpening.

"Oh my God, oh my God! Killian… he's... something fell on him. Guys, help me here."

"Fuck, I need a light… get me a fucking light."

Regina heard the voices, all of them suddenly high and clear while coming from all directions. It was insane… and it was all happening so fast that she couldn't distinguish one voice from the other. The one asking for a light could have been Robin as well as Will, and the one calling for help had a hint of Emma, but it also could be Mary Margaret.

She didn't know, she wasn't sure, but all the chaos that started to reign made her feel on edge and antsy, like she needed to move but she wasn't sure where to.

"I have one."

In a matter of nothing, what seemed like a flashlight was turned on, pointing towards the kitchen so that the guys could walk back in to help Killian.

"Oh my God, is he alright, what... What's happening?" Mary Margaret asked. She too had a flashlight, and with the help of it, Regina saw how August, Robin and Emma were apparently trying to lift something off from Killian.

She couldn't have a clear image of what it was, but she hoped to God that it wasn't the trunk of the fallen tree that was now decorating what was left of her mother's kitchen, because that thing was huge and heavy and they would never be able to lift it off.

They were struggling with things as it was, so she didn't even want to imagine…

"Bloody marvelous. Okay, go get into the living room and wake Little John up so that he can come and help." With that said, Will groaned, putting his own flashlights in Regina's hands before walking into the kitchen as well, joining in the attempts of helping the others.

At the order, Belle basically ran off, calling for John while Mary Margaret started to sob again. It was Tink the one who reacted now and grabbed the short haired woman, pulling her towards the living room.

"Well shit." Regina mumbled, not knowing whether she should go into the kitchen and help, or into the living room and just wait.

She opted for the last one, as she didn't think her presence would make any kind of difference when it came to helping Killian. She did however, make a detour towards the pantry and took all the candles and flashlights she could carry in her arms.

Once that was done, she moved around as if in a nightmare, like she was walking through the worst scenario of her life, her steps quick and her breath short.

"Is he alright?" Mary Margaret asked as soon as Regina walked into what appeared to be the safest part of the house, the living room.

"I… really don't know.," Looking around, Regina took notice that it was only her and Mary Margaret in the living room and she wondered where the others were, as the last thing she needed was to be the one in charge of the weeping woman.

Not like such a thing was necessary, because before she could even ask about Tink or even Belle, a pair of men walked into the living room, drenched to the bone and panting, and Regina knew at once she was liberated from such a tedious task.

"David, oh my God."

Running to her childhood sweetheart and attaching herself to the man's neck, Mary Margaret started to cry. The whole thing made Regina roll her eyes, and dropping all but one of the flashlights, she turned to Graham.

"You look like hell, and I know you probably went through it out there, but something happened and I think you'll be very much needed in the kitchen, so come on."

Running a hand through his wet hair, Graham drew into a tired deep breath. "Alright."

As they made their way towards the affected area, Regina quickly told the man about what was going on, but as she did that, she got a little distracted by the sudden breeze running all through the house. It was coming from the kitchen, and combined with the wind overcoming outside, it was making the entire house rumble.

"I don't like this right here, Regina, if we don't barricade ourselves into the living room now, in a matter of minutes we'll be exposed to this hurricane even from inside here and trust me, what's out there is not pretty."

"I know, I don't like it either." Especially when it came to whatever was happening upstairs, from where she could listen to the roof making a ruckus.

Not like she could focus on that right now, so thinking about Killian, she made Graham hurry after her.

But, before they could get into the kitchen area, Little John and Graham materialized out of the darkness, making her sigh in relief as the first thing she noticed was that they had Killian hanging between them.

Sure, he was all banged up, but the look of pain in his face at least reassured Regina that he was conscious and very much alive.

"His arm is all messed up, we'll have to either take him to the hospital or fix him here." Belle said, following them close behind. Emma was with her, all pale and drenched.

"Jesus, Graham." Tink said, and almost like Mary Margaret did with David, she stepped forward to hug the man. It was more subtle than the one shared by the two lovebirds back at the living room though, almost shy, and despite the situation at hand, Regina couldn't help but to feel the corner of her lips curve at the way she saw the sheriff hug her friend back.

It was a short lived break from all the craziness, because right after, it was back to business.

"The roads are quickly getting flooded out there, so if we are going to take him to a hospital, it has to be now. I have the truck out there so I'll take him."

"I'll go with you." Tink hurried to say, and before anyone could object, she guided Little John and August outside. For some reason, Emma and Belle followed them too, and the sudden disappearance of everyone made Regina notice that Robin and Will were also there; dripping wet and as far as she could see, very much exhausted.

"You'll need to barricade into the living room, and you need to do it now. With the kitchen gone, this wind is going to blow this place inside out sooner rather than later, and when that happens, you need to be as safe as you can get."

"We can board the entrance to the room, there are still a few panels around. It's not much but it's better than nothing, I'll get the one upstairs and some tools."

"Some towels will help too, or blankets. If we are to spend this storm in there, we should get some of those."

Nodding at Will's words because they made sense, Regina swirled quickly on her feet to head upstairs. "I'm on in."

She meant to do it, but as soon as she made it to the stairs and was halfway up, she stopped on her tracks, gasping out loud at what she was seeing. It was impressive in some sort of macabre way, almost surreal, but the force of the wind up there was on a whole different level. It was even making part of the ceiling lift a little and she knew, right in that moment, that the house was going to come apart at one point or the other.

"You should stay down there, I'll get the towels and whatever else is needed."

Robin's voice came as a surprise against her ear, as she hadn't expected him to be so close. But even though it startled her a little, what she did was clench her jaw and draw in a deep breath. "No, you wouldn't know where to look, I'll get them."

Decided and knowing she needed to hurry, Regina tried to suck it up and move. She did it quickly, aware of the imminent dangers of being up there, but collecting the things she thought would help nonetheless, piling them up in the corridor. By the time she was done, Robin was already climbing back up after having taken the panel down.

"Leave them there and go down, I'll take them." Robin almost shouted so that she could hear him over the wind.

"Let me get my shoes." And her bag, because as she was seeing it, she was going to lose them if she didn't get them.

"Just hurry up."

Before Regina could respond or even move, a very strong gust of wind swirled all around them and with it, a huge portion of the ceiling lifted along with some columns. They went up, almost all the way off, and then with the same force that they elevated, they came crashing back down, making the windows on the stairs blow as a good chunk of roof crumbled in.

The sound of it was like thunder ringing in her ears, but the impact of it was even worse. It made the floor underneath her bare feet shake, making her stumble and go down hard.

"Uff." She complained, not only because of the impact of the fall, but also because the wind that now entered through the hole in the roof was making all kinds of debris blow in her face. From broken glass to splinters and yes, even the damn towels.

It was a frightening thing, because all of a sudden, the pressure was enough to make it hard for her to breath or see or even listen to anything other than the eerie sounds of the hurricane all around her. There was also a sharp stinging pain in the palm of her hand as she tried to hold onto anything that would help her get up to her feet.

She tried to get up, only that she couldn't make it, as much as she tried to, because the truth of the matter was that she wasn't strong enough to go against the forcefully winds.

' _Oh my God, I'm going to die here.'_

She thought, pressing her back to a wall and closing her eyes tight shut, her hold on the flashlight unrelenting.

"The stairs are gone, come on." Robin yelled out of nowhere, grabbing her arms to pull her up. He managed after a bit of a struggle, steading her once she was on her feet. That way, he made her move towards her bedroom.

Once inside and with the door closed, he urged her to walk into the bathroom, as the pressure of the air was a bit more manageable and the wind wasn't as strong in there.

At least for the time being.

"Fucking shit…" He hissed, running both hands through his hair and his jaw clenching hard enough to make him look strained. But then he looked at her and his features softened a bit. "You're bleeding."

Opening her eyes and gasping at the uncomfortable feeling of her heart thumping hard and fast against her chest, Regina stared at him dumbly. Yes, she heard him alright, but she couldn't for the life of her grasp the meaning of what he just said.

All she knew in that moment, was that she was dripping wet, and that the way her clothes were plastered all over her was making her feel way too cold.

"Your hand."

He pointed out and yes, when she looked down to it, she saw that she was indeed bleeding.

How? She wasn't sure, but the sight of blood made her react and she quickly turned to the washbasin, turning it on and putting her hand under the pressure of the water.

"Shit." She mumbled when it started to sting, the blood flowing down the drain.

"Let me see." Taking her hand and inspecting it with the flashlight, Robin cursed under his breath. Then, he was grabbing for a towel to put some pressure over the open cut. "That's a bit deep; here, hold this and don't let go of the pressure, I'm going to…"

He didn't finish talking, he just turned around and walked out the door.

Wincing at the pain, Regina blinked a couple of times, her heart hammering hard inside her chest as she looked up.

It was dark, sure, but she didn't need a clear vision to know that they were pretty much screwed over there. She knew it in her gut, because the sounds the ceiling was making was a clear indication that the structure was not going to hold; at least not the second floor, which was where they were unfortunately in.

"I don't like this." She mumbled to herself between clenched teeth.

When Robin came back, he was not only dragging her mattress into the reduced space of her bathroom, but also her blankets and what she recognized as her favorite shirt hanging from his shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"It's crazy out there, we won't be able to make it down so we'll have to make the best of what we can here. Let me see that cut."

Lifting her hand, she watched as he took the towel off and started to do whatever he could with her wound, cleaning it up as best as he could, taking off the rings on her fingers and then doing what he could with just water and soap.

"You're bleeding too." She said when he was apparently about to finish, and despite herself, she lifted her other hand to touch a spot right over his right eyebrow. Sure, it was a superficial thing that probably didn't need any kind of treatment, but for some reason she felt like pointing it out.

"Really?" His eyes went to her, and even in the chiaroscuro surrounding them and with the mance of the hurricane right upon them, she had to swallow hard on dry by the way those clear blue orbs dug deep into hers.

What could she say? She has spent half her teenage years daydreaming about this guy not to be slightly affected by him, and the way he was looking at her in that moment...

But then, before she could even blink the feeling away, the ceiling roared, lifting back again and then falling.

Cringing and having the spell broken, Regina's eyes moved back to the roof, watching in horror at the way it wanted to give in. "I don't like this."

"Yeah, me neither." Apparently not wanting to waste another minute, Robin reached for the shirt he brought over with him, ripping it to pieces. Then with what was left of it, he began to wrap her hand with it.

As he did that, the ceiling did its thing of lifting again.

"Shit. Just… get into the tub, quick."

Regina furrowed her brows at what he asked her to do, but when she saw him move to drag the mattress with him, she assumed he wanted them to take cover in there and have the Queen piece cover them.

It was weird, but she did it, sitting in a corner of the porcelain tub as Robin did the same. That way and with him making the mattress lean a bit over them, they sat side by side, Regina holding onto her flashlights as her other hand throbbed in pain.

"We should save the batteries by turning the flashlights off."

"What?" She almost groaned because no, she didn't want to do that. That light coming from the precious object was the only thing making her feel a little bit in control, and she didn't really want to give it up.

But he was right, according to Will, the hurricane was just making landfall so who knew how long until they could have a little normalcy, and the last thing they needed was to run out of batteries during the worst part of everything.

Blowing out a breath and listening to the wind mess with the roof once again, Regina turned off her lights and closed her eyes, the feeling of unrest eating her inside out too much to bear.

For a while, that was all she did, wait while feeling wary; but when all of a sudden she heard another set of windows breaking in and then the door to the bathroom start to shake, she couldn't help but to feel a tremor run down her spine.

Maybe the roof was holding right in that moment, but the wind that started to sneak underneath the door felt ominous enough for her to feel scared. It even started to make the mattress move and her hair swirl a bit.

"Robin…"

He didn't say anything, but he did wrap an arm around her and brought her closer to him. Regina didn't hesitate when it came to giving into the contact, turning a little so that she could press her face to his chest, her injured hand cradled between them as the air started to get thicker and heavier.

It wasn't long until the wind started to get so loud, that she felt it drilling into her brain, gnawing strong and deep until she was sure she was going to forever have it with her. The force of it was also making her lungs feel more than a little compromised. She couldn't breathe as well as she should and that was unnerving. Especially, because she wasn't sure if it was because the pressure was too low, or because she was panicking.

Whatever it was, the thing was that she could feel her chest starting to hurt already.

"Oh my God."

Pressing her face fully into Robin's chest, Regina held hard onto his shirt, her eyes closed. She couldn't see, but there was a lot to listen to, and when out of nowhere the ceiling gave completely up and flew away into the night, there was a lot to feel as well.

First it was how strong the wind became, it even made the bathtub shake and the mattress press over them; then it was the rain, because even though they were partially covered, the water was hitting them hard, like sharp needles chastising their flesh.

Sucking into a shaky breath and imagining how this could very much be the end of her, Regina pressed even harder into Robin, somehow, someway, making the full weight of her body lay almost completely over him.

If it bothered him, he didn't show it, and instead, he placed a hand to her head, providing some sort of protection in case the mattress would fail them.

It was comforting, in a weird kind of way because it made her know that as messed up and dangerous as things were now, at least she wasn't alone.

Small comforts, she knew… but as the whole thing was just starting, she was going to take what she could and run with it, and right in that moment, that little hold that was preventing her from completely freaking out, was Robin… nothing more.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

She couldn't breathe…

As much as she was trying to, she just couldn't… breathe. At least not with the ease in which she was supposed to do it. Sure, there were a few sharp intakes of air that would reach all the way to her lungs to give the vital organs the impression that they could survive with so little, but at the same time, there was this impending feeling of her windpipes closing off on her that wouldn't leave her alone.

There was also a progressive feeling of doom taking over her, one that had been growing bigger and gnawing deeper into her psyche ever since she got into that bathtub with Robin. By then, the sensation was making her breathing a hell more difficult, her chest burning with the insufficiency of oxygen her body was receiving.

The feeling was making her edge on desperation, because even though she would use all her might to make her chest heave, it felt like her throat was blocked, preventing that way, the flow of oxygen to reach her lungs.

It was an agonizing battle… trying to ease her breathing, staying calm when all she wanted was to get out of that bathtub and make a run for it.

To go where? She wasn't sure, as she was trapped in a very precarious situation. But after being there for so long and with no clear idea of when it would all stop, she felt like she really needed to just get out. If she didn't, she was going to suffocate.

She could feel it happening already and yes, in a way she knew it was because she was panicking, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel the long claws of desperation wrapping around her throat… squeezing hard enough to cut her breathing off once and for all.

Probably reaching her breaking point, Regina searched blindly for a spot where she could steadily place the palm of her injured hand against the marble tub. It was hard though, first because it was too slippery, and second because it made her cut sting.

Not like it mattered, not when she was choking on nothing, so not minding whatever discomfort this could cause, Regina gasped, desperately trying to find some air.

She couldn't, wasn't able to, as instead of air she breathed into some of the water punishingly hitting her from all sides. That right there made her desperation soar, so using her other hand to get the impulse she needed, she started to get up.

She did it quickly, without really looking, so when she collided against the mattress that was now with the sole power of the wind pushing against the wall behind the tub and consequently providing some sort of protection against all the debris flying around, she was surprised by the impact.

She was even more surprised when she felt Robin wrap his arms around her to bring her back down against him.

"Hey-" She heard him say in her ear. He told her something more, but with the wind howling so loud all around, she didn't really get to understand the rest of it.

"I can't breathe." She said, her voice coming off in small sharp gasps. She knew that he probably wasn't able to hear either, but she said it all the same, her hands going back to finding that spot to propel herself up.

"Regina, Regina…"

Before she could fully move away from him, Robin grabbed her harder, one hand firmly on her back and the other one reaching for her face. The contact made her eyes search for him amidst the darkness surrounding them. No, she couldn't exactly see him when the only source of light would come from the occasional lighting that would lit the sky every once in a while, but she could definitely distinguish the outline of his face.

She could also get from looking at him, that he was talking to her, even when she wasn't exactly sure what was it that he was saying. It was too loud for her to hear, but the timbre of his voice was making it towards her, traveling into her ear and settling deep into her brain.

"I can't…" She began to say, but her words were cut off with the strendenous sound of something metallic hitting the wall outside the bathroom. Instead of going on, she pressed herself back to him, her face hiding into the crook of his neck as a broken sob escaped her.

It was just too much. They had been there for only God knew how long and she couldn't take much more of it. Not of the sound of everything going to hell, not of the terror that would take hold of her every time the mattress would give the impression that it was going to fly away and leave them completely exposed, and not of the wind blowing so strong she was sure it was going to peel the skin out of her body.

That was without taking in consideration the rain, because that part of the hurricane was being extremely punishing, chastising her skin like sharp needles encrusting themselves over her entire being; drenching her, even making her feel like she was going to drown in it if she let it… and she just couldn't anymore.

"...it'll be okay-"

Closing her eyes tight as Robin kept mumbling what she guessed were some encouraging words meant to calm her down, Regina clung to him as best as she could, her entire body shaking while she tried to go back to focusing in what was important, breathing.

Yes… just breathing… with Robin's voice low and raspy in her ear, amazingly coming out with the sedative qualities of a lullaby. She took all the comfort she could out of it, until the vicious grip in her throat started to slowly give her space to breathe.

She was even able to sync her breathing with his, and even though his chest was rising and falling way too fast to be considered normal, and his heart was beating so hard she could even feel it hammering against her own chest, matching both his heartbeat and his breathing was better than the anguish she had been suffering before

For the longest time, that was the only thing she put her attention to, breathing with him. She crawled into herself and ignored the hurricane raging on and on and just went on to breathing in through her nose, and then letting it gently go out of her mouth; inhaling and exhaling…filling her lungs with the precious and vital oxygen, and then letting it go.

After a while, it started to come easier… especially since she had been repeating the exercise over and over as a way to get her body to finally settle back into getting the hang of it. But also, with her mind crawling so deep into herself, the moment came when she started to feel numb all around…

She wasn't sure if it was because she had a blackout, because she fainted or because she was too exhausted of trying to hold it together, but the result was that she ended up completely drained. So, so whipped up, that when Robin started to shake her a little, she didn't think she had the force to respond.

"Regina-"

Realizing that Robin's voice was louder and that the wind wasn't as deafening like she remembered it, the brunette woman blinked her eyes open. It was still dark, too dark to get a clear image of what was going on, but the wind wasn't as intense as it had been at the pinnacle of the event, and in her mind, that was one hell of an improvement.

Was it over? She wanted to ask, but as it turned out, she was still too stunned to move or to speak.

She even depended on Robin to help her off of him so that she could go back to sitting instead of having her lay all over him, and while in any other occasion that would have been mortifying, in that moment she didn't feel anything.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his hands back to her face.

Feeling shaky, she nodded, but she honestly wasn't sure if she was really okay. Her hand was throbbing, she was freezing, a bit dizzy and she was sure she could throw up at any given moment. But she was alive, if that was what he meant.

"I think this is the eye of the hurricane… we can, um… I think we should try and make it to a safer place while we have time. You think you can get up?"

"Just the eye?" Her voice was too raw, too desperate. She couldn't believe they were only halfway through this monster of a hurricane, or that the worst part of it was yet to come.

With what they already had, her mother's house was torn to pieces and she just lived through the worst experience of her entire life… so no, she couldn't go through it all over again; not physically, and definitely not mentally.

"No, no… I-"

As if sensing she was about to freak out, Robin slid his hands to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair as he brought her a little bit closer to him. "Hey, it'll be okay. We just need to get out of here, now. So, do you think you can get up?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Regina nodded, and just as she did so, the sky and all of their surroundings illuminated, letting her have a clear image of him. Of his blue eyes digging into hers and his hair all plastered against his head. It was only for a second though, because as quickly as the lighting came, it went away, leaving only the sound of thunder roaring somewhere nearby.

Dropping his hands from her hair, Robin pushed the mattress away. Once off, he grabbed the flashlight and helped her get up.

She stood, grabbing onto him as she climbed out of the tub, her legs feeling as if they were made out of rubber instead of flesh and bones. Once out, she took a look around, a gasp stuck in her throat as she drank in the devastation that seemed to be reigning all around.

She couldn't see much, but she could see how most of the roof was gone, how part of the walls collapsed, and how her bedroom was nothing but a bunch of stuff thrown together in a corner. There were leaves, broken glass and most of her furniture just there, piling up.

Puffing out a breath, Regina ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head as the most ridiculous thought started to swirl into her head.

She had no shoes, and no more clothes than what she had on… and if the destruction of her childhood home didn't do it, this did. It hit her, hard… not the lack of shoes, but the magnitude of what just happened. It made her legs want to give up on her because she could have died in there, and that she didn't was a mystery she was not understanding.

"Come on." Placing a hand to the small of her back, Robin made her move forward, her toes curling as her feet made contact with so much water and dirt.

It was insane, surreal… and her mind was having a hard time wrapping itself around all of it. She barely even noticed when Robin stopped to grab the mess that was left of her bag, and she just focused instead on letting her eyes take on everything else.

The broken windows, bricks all over, her stereo broken and the pieces scattered...

Still, she moved on, forcing her feet to keep going one after the other, all until they made it to the ruin of the stairs. From there, there was nowhere to go, unless they made the jump from the second floor to the first one, and she wasn't sure that was a good idea.

"Shit… we'll have to climb down one way or the other." Clearing his throat, Robin threw her bag down; then, he was shaking the railing to see how stable it was.

It shook, part of it giving up and falling down, the sound echoing through the darkness of that early morning and making her cringe.

Cursing under his breath again, Robin kept probing, trying to find a way to safely go down. He did it for a while, but it was too dark and the flashlight wasn't providing all the illumination they needed for the task.

Sighing in defeat, he turned to her, flashing her with the almost fluorescent artificial light. "Alright, guess we have to make the jump. I'm going to go first… and then you go after me. I'll catch you down there."

"You think that's a good idea?"

Shrugging, his lips twisted. "It's either that or staying here waiting to get sucked into the hurricane again, and I don't know about you, but there's no way I'll go through that again."

Yeah, she wasn't doing that either, so taking in a deep long breath and then letting it escape through her mouth, she nodded. "Okay… okay."

Scratching hard underneath his jaw, Robin sat on the edge of the second floor, letting his legs hang into the air as he looked down. He was in the spot were the reiling just gave up, meaning that he was going to land over it.

It was dangerous, as their visibility to whatever was down there wasn't the best.

But before he could go down, a different kind of noise was heard and all of a sudden, there was the light of another flashlight shining in her eyes.

"Robin? For fuck's sake, man… you're alive!" Regina couldn't quite recognize the voice, but she did get the hint of relief it gave up when he recognized Robin to be the dangling man hanging from the second floor.

"Is Regina-?" Another man was heard, and that one as well, she couldn't recognize.

"Yes, it's us, alive and kicking. We're also kind of trying to get down, so a little help would be perfect, you know?"

"Yeah yeah, come on, I'll get you, bro."

Slowly, Robin eased himself off. Regina watched him make the jump, her heart stuck in her throat as he disappeared from her sight. But then she heard the muffled sound of one of the men down there gasping as another one laughed heartily, and she just had to get closer to get a peek.

What she saw made her roll her eyes, because down there it was Robin and Little John, the later holding her highschool crush in a bear hug that seemed to be taking all the breath out of his lungs.

"See, I've been telling you guys this, that one day it was going to be useful to be so cozy."

Patting his friend's back, Robin grunted. "I know… but, can you put me down now?"

"No, I'm never going to put you down. I thought you died…"

"Well, while these two lovebirds kiss and makeup-" August left the sentence there, but looking up, he motioned Regina to do the same thing Robin just did, which was take a leap.

She wasn't looking forward to it, but she did want to get down and far from that second floor that brought her so much peril, so, swallowing on dry and still feeling her heart too wild to be considered normal, she sat at the edge of the floor.

"It's okay, I got her."

With her legs dangling, Regina watched how Robin was the one who grabbed her ankles, and as awkward as that should feel, she was just glad of the contact, as it meant he got her and was going to catch her.

Which he did… he got her, letting her slide slowly down until she ended up basically trapped in his hold, his arms around her waist as she held herself to his shoulders.

It was a weird thing, how her eyes suddenly got entranced with the intensity of the man's stare. Sure, she spent the last few hours of her life laying on him and clinging to him in ways that wouldn't be considered too prudent if it wasn't for the circumstances, but in that moment and with the flashlights providing enough light, she could also see him and in a way, that made her feel completely out of words.

This was Robin after all… _the_ Robin, her biggest crush as she grew up and he was there, as a knight in shining armor saving her yet again...looking at her with so much impetus.

It was the kind of context a thirteen year old version of herself would recurrently daydream about, and yet, years and years later, she couldn't help but to feel how the moment wasn't all of what she would have wanted it to be.

First because they almost died and there was nothing romantic about that, and second, because as pretty as his eyes were up close and as comforting as it felt to have him hold her to him, she couldn't forget that he had a girlfriend.

Remembering that made her clear her throat and take a step back.

"See, I told you it was going to be okay." Forcing a smile as she mumbled a _thank you_ he probably didn't even hear, Robin let his hands drop away from her.

She tried to smile back, but after the hell she just lived and the momentarily trance in which he put her just now, she didn't find the force in herself to do it.

"Regina." Lifting her face and a bit surprised to hear Little John calling for her, the brown-eyed woman blinked slowly. Then, before she could stop it or even question it, the man was wrapping her up in an embrace.

"We thought you two were done for. This thing was crazy, now come on, let's get you all warmed up."

As if she needed the assistance, Little John kept his arm around her shoulder. That way, he guided her to the only place of the house that seemed to have stood against the hurricane, the living room.

Not for much though, because as soon as she walked in, she noticed the ceiling leaking, the cracked walls, and how there was water everywhere. She also noticed that yeah, the panels on the windows were still holding, but she honestly wasn't sure if the foundation of the structure was strong enough to survive another round.

"Oh my God, Robin!"

And there it was, the girlfriend...

Out of the corner of her eye, Regina watched as a teary Belle jumped to her feet and ran to Robin, clinging to his neck as soon as she was close enough and crying oh so prettily as she hugged the hell out of him.

On any other occasion, she would have rolled her eyes at the little scene, but truth be told, she was too exhausted for that now.

"Regina, oh thank God you are okay." This was Mary Margaret, and she too felt the need to hug her as she cried her eyes out. It was awkward, but thankfully, it distracted her long enough so she wouldn't have to see Robin and Belle hugging, whispering sweet nothings into each other's ear and kissing... or whatever it was that they were doing.

But then, things took a turn for the worse because as soon as Mary Margaret let go of her, it was Belle the one hugging her.

Freezing because she was sure the woman was going to hiss angrily in her ear about how she didn't appreciate the way in which she had been all over her man back in the tub, Regina swallowed on dry.

"You don't even know the scare you two gave us down here." Instead of a reproach, her words were quickly followed by a wet chuckle.

It confused the hell out of Regina, and it probably showed in the way her arms just hung loose into the embrace.

"Alright, I don't want to be the asshole saying this, but this place is not going to hold much longer. So why don't we make haste with the hugs and kisses so we can get the hell out of here."

Happy because Will's words made Belle pull away from her, Regina bit hard into the inside of her cheek, looking at no one in particular but refusing to let her gaze drop. It was an art she had mastered and that had served her well on a stage, when she was performing. In that moment, it was saving her from looking as awkward as she was feeling.

"Okay, but where do we go?" David cut in, talking for the first time since Robin and Regina got back to the group.

"Well, there's the City Hall… can't think of any other place that isn't the hospital or there."

Groaning, Little John complained. "The City Hall is crowded…."

"It's probably holding up too."

Regina listened the back and forth for a while, wanting to put her two cents in but holding it. She wasn't feeling so good; no… she was still shaky, both because of the time she spent up there and because it was too damn cold.

It didn't help that she was dripping wet.

"Got you this." Breaking out of her trance, she noticed that Robin was now standing by her side and holding her bag. It made her snort as she grabbed it, because she was sure that inside there were at least a pair of shoes and in that moment, that was all she needed.

He also threw a jacket over her her shoulders, and that helped the trembling of her limbs almost stop, almost.

"Could hear your teeth shattering all across the room."

Twisting her lips, Regina closed her eyes for a few seconds. "I… don't doubt it, thanks." As a way to distract herself, she opened the bag, effectively taking out a pair of flats. They weren't much and were as wet as the rest of the contents in there, but at least it was better than nothing.

"You sure you are alright?"

Out of instinct, the brunette woman opened her mouth to say that she was, and that why wouldn't she be? After all, she was alive and kicking, as he himself said before. But this was the man who had to calm her out of a panic attack in the middle of a hurricane, the man that would have died along with her if it wouldn't have been for that mattress. So lying to him didn't feel like a good option.

"No, I'm not… I just… I don't know… I just want it all to be over."

Reaching for her shoulder reassuringly, Robin smiled again that dimple smile of his, entrancing her. "It will be over soon, and it will get better. We got through the hardest part of it in the worst way ever, so from here on, it can't get more fucked up. It just can't."

Breathing out, she shrugged, refusing to let her eyes drop away from his. "Don't jinx it, because we don't know how bad this can still turn to."

Before he could reply to that, Belle stepped in. "You are all drenched to the bone, come on, let's get you changed."

Arching both eyebrows because yes, that was awkward as hell, Regina stepped back. But before she could retreat to give them the privacy they needed to get Robin 'changed', Belle grabbed her instead and smiled sweetly… to her boyfriend.

"Sorry, I promise to give her back in a minute. You too should get changed, you know."

Frowning, Regina allowed the woman to drag her away and into a corner of the room. She also took the dry shirt she was offering and even changed quickly into it, same with the leggings Marry Margaret offered. It was all she was willing to take, and all she could do until Will announced it, that it was to the City Hall that they were going.

He also let them know they needed to do it fast, because out of what the radio was saying, the wall of the eye was about to hit them… and no, they didn't want to be there when that happened, nor did they want to get caught up in the middle of the road.

Sucking into a shaky breath as the news somehow made her feel anxious all over again, Regina moved her eyes around, looking for Robin.

She found him looking back at her, his fingers tapping the corner of his lips and his eyes digging deep.

It was in that moment that she realized she was going to be in so much trouble, and not necessarily because of the hurricane...

TBC


End file.
